Immortality, Her Blessing and His Curse
by maidenofthemist89
Summary: What if Machika really did become immortal? And what if, after years of searching for Rain, they finally cross paths. Set after book 4.


Ok, so before you read this, I have no idea how I got this…um…idea. I was just reading vol. 4, which mi amiga lent me, snaps for Neko-chan! (Named this because she meows). But anywho, I just woke up, and I always seem to get my best ideas when I'm asleep, but anyway, I picked up the manga, and started reading the part were Machika tries to become immortal by biting Rain's neck, ya know, and then I thought, what if she really did become immortal…

Warning: Though this story is set in the future, no information in books five, or any later volumes is being used. Also, I do, not own any of the characters in this story; they all belong to Kaori Ozaki, and other parties. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

_What if someone told you that they could grant you eternal life?_

_That you would be immortal, forever youthful, a life without death,_

_Would you take it?_

_Would you take joy in realizing that, disease, war, or even time itself couldn't harm you?_

_Realize that everyone you love would grow old, and die?_

_Yet you would never change, you could never…_

26 years prior:

"Tell me, what if I told you immortality was in your grasp?" Yuca's pale hands tracing along her jaw-line, "what if I told you that you would never have to die, never grow old." His hands snaked down her neck, and came to rest over her rapidly beating heart. Machika pulled away, fear painted across her face, "What if I told you that you would never have to leave Rain?"

At this however, she paused, was that truly possible? Would she really throw the rest of her life away? With a pang, she realized that she didn't have a life, no, it died with her grandfather, after all, he was everything to her, and now all she had was him, Methuselah. "Rain," was all she whispered before allowing Yuca to guide her down a hall.

Machika sat by the window, as she did every day, waiting for him, hoping that she would see him on the horizon, hand stretched out, calling her; with a sigh she continued to brush her now long hair1. Thirty years, had already been thirty years sense she had last seen him? Yet, she could still remember his scent, the way his hair fell into his face when thinking, and his smile, soft and kind; she would see him again, even if it killed her! Chuckling, she realized that it would never kill her, how could it? She had even given her life to find him, it was already gone, a waning memory. Turning down the covers she prepared herself to face another day.

The border town, how long ago had he made that promise? How long did she wait? Well, he was here now, but she would have left by now. "Can't we PLEASE go now? I'm hungry!" looking up in the directing of the child, tugging on his mother's skirts, he smiled as bitter sweet memories surfaced. Turning, he headed off into the direction in which the Doctor was rumored to still be working.

A gentle tap of the door roused that doctor from his papers, "Excuse me, Doctor, but you have a visitor." turning, he nodded, as the nurse showed in a tall man, still in his early twenties.

The contents of the desk danced over the floor as he realized whom his guest was, "Heh. Well I'll be God Dammed. Nearly thirty years, and you show up again!" he looked up, a twinkle in his mischievous eyes, "Machika said something about having your heart crushed by one of those 'angels' before she ran, heh, hunting for you no doubt." His hand waved lazily, gesturing to one of the whittled stools.

"Has it really been that long?" Taking the seat, the guest gazed out the stained window, towards the horizon, "It's strange, the land really doesn't change, yet its inhabitance does, in a blink of an eye; even you, old and grey, heh, only yesterday, you were young, with thick hair. I can't even image what Machika looks like now." Turing away, he let a small smile play across his face, "You know, I saw her; nearly twenty-six years ago now, she was with a youth about her age, I wonder if she married him2," looking away again, a sad smile plays across his face, "she probably has kids by now too."

"Rain, I…"

Suddenly, the door burst open, "I'm so sorry lunch is late, Yutaka was having fun in town," In a swift movement, she kicked the door shut and bustled towards them, her gaze never leaving her tray, "he's down for his nap now though3." The woman laid out dishes for two, "One of the nurses said you had a visitor." Pushing stray hair from her eyes, Rain finally had a good look at her, she looked so familiar, no, he shook the thought from his mind, it couldn't be her, could it? He was quite abruptly pulled from his thoughts, realizing that the young woman was speaking to him, "Won't you please stay for lun….." her eyes fell upon the man in front of her, and she froze, eyes widening, "My God…", the dish in her hand fell to the floor, shattering on impact.

The doctor's stood suddenly and started toward the door, "Well, I think I should go check-up on some of my other patients," inclining his head, he left, "if your excuse me."

Even as the door closed, leaving the two along, neither could move. Finally, a whisper escaped Rain's lips, "Machika?"

Tears had already welled in her emerald eyes, threatening to spill out, "Yes."

In the short time to utter that word, Rain had crossed that room, and embraced her, "How? You shouldn't be here," burying his face in her golden hair, "You should be old by now, yet, here you are, not a day over twenty."

Giving a weak smile, she looked up, her watery ones meeting his rich ones, "Eighteen, thank you very much."

1 Machika now has long hair. She used to keep it short, like a boy, because she wanted to travel. "Never have boys, they all leave ya." She wanted to go beyond the horizon; places she couldn't see from her village. But now, that she's settled down, well not really, just living in one place, she has no reason to keep it short. She also wears dresses, but that's just because, I don't know, work, or something.

2 Reference to the prolog, what he saw was her and Yuca, and just if you were wondering she was nineteen at the time.

3 Yutaka is the doctor's grandson, he's parents are off doing research on herbs, so he was left in grandpa's care.


End file.
